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Trying to find the “total package” is the last thing you should
do. Literally (and not in the teenage use of literally) the last
thing.

Why? Think about the typical hiring process. You work hard to
find and select the right candidate. You evaluate skills and
experience and then ask interview questions to determine if the
candidate possesses qualities like attention to detail,
interpersonal skills, leadership ability, problem-solving
skills....

Your process is exhaustive and, well,
exhausting.

Still, while many of the people that get hired turn out to be
good employees, few of them turn out to be what every company
really needs: great employees.

Why? Those companies -- and the people making the decisions --
took the job description approach to hiring.

Think about job descriptions. They list a wide
variety of qualifications the employee should possess. Typically
attributes like “self motivated,” “able to work with minimal
supervision,” “able to prioritize and handle multiple tasks,” and
“able to work well alone or as a member of a team,” are included.

So what happens? People evaluate candidates with those
requirements in mind. The candidate that ticks the most boxes is
usually selected—and the company winds up hiring good when they
really need great.

Now think about the truly great employees you
know. Some are well rounded, some are not, but all
possess at least at least one incredible skill. They all do at
least one thing, one critical thing, so well that people are
willing—even happy—to overlook some of their deficiencies.

Complete this sentence about a theoretical employee: "I don't
care how great she is, I would still let her go because she
________."

Those are your no-go attributes. Never lose sight of them.

Set aside every candidate that doesn’t have what you really need.
Don’t be tempted by the, “Wow, she really has a wide range of
skills,” candidate. If she doesn’t bring the one or two
attributes you really need she may turn out to be a good
employee, but she’s not likely to be great.

Then set aside every candidate with an attribute on your "no way
in hell" list. She won't be great either.

Spend 10% of your time assessing general qualities and 90% of
your time ensuring the candidate truly has what you need. Dig in.
Ask for examples. Ask lots of follow-up questions. Write
everything down.

Then check references and use your notes to help you ask specific
questions. Sure, some companies won’t provide any information,
but many -- especially small businesses -- will.

Many will say they are not allowed to share information about
previous employees. When that happens, try saying, “I understand.
I’m just really worried I might a mistake. Can you just say, if
you were me, whether you would hire him?”

You'll be surprised by how many people will want to help you out
with a whispered "yes" or "no."

Then you can...

If a few candidates seem relatively equal in terms of what you
really need, then decide which one best meets your more
subjective criteria. Conduct a second interview if necessary. Or
let other employees interview the remaining candidates.

At this point you can afford to evaluate “nice to have” qualities
because you’ve done everything possible to identify candidates
that have the attributes you truly need.

What do you think? Do you hire people who
have that one skill you most need, or do you try to hire
candidates who appear to be the total package?